Digital manufacturing processes are known in the art. Digital manufacturing refers to any process by Which an object is produced from a three-dimensional model or various other computational instructions. Object production relies heavily on additive manufacturing processes, also known as “3D printing.” Such additive manufacturing processes form an object by depositing successive layers of material via a robotic device operating under instructions sent to it from a computing device.
Current additive manufacturing processes are capable of reproducing about 20 percent of the world's manufactured goods. More goods may become producible as technology evolves. Some of items that are currently able to be produced via digital manufacturing processes include shoes, clothing, toys, and chocolates, just to name a few. No matter What is being produced, however, instructions are needed to facilitate production.
Two potential problems may arise when a user desires to produce something via digital manufacturing. One is that a desired product may be known, but instructions for producing the product cannot be found/do not exist. This is due in part to the fact that many companies do not publish parts that they make and/or use. Another problem may arise when a user desires to make a part to accomplish a certain task or to have certain characteristics, but is unaware of what the part is called, or even if it exists.
Given the foregoing, systems, methods, and computer program products are needed which facilitate the procurement and storage of instructions for digitally manufacturing a vast plethora of objects in a comprehensive, updateable, and organized fashion. A means of generating instructions/models to digitally manufacture unknown and/or non-existent products is also desired.